Joph's Tale
by Kilrex
Summary: The following fanfiction is based in the campaign world of Golarion near the Candlestone Caverns in Andoran. The encounter portrayed in this story is meant to be the beginning of an andventure.


Introduction: The following fanfiction is based in the campaign world of Golarion near the Candlestone Caverns in Andoran. The encounter portrayed in this story is meant to be the beginning of an adventure.

Disclaimer: This is not an official story and I am not an employee for Paizo.

* * *

I was afraid. I could see light flickering around the bend in the tunnel ahead. The presence of light was scary. It meant that surface creatures. The tribe told tales of when the humans from the surface raided the tribe generations ago. They had killed most of the tribe and plundered the jelly the tribe used for food. When the svirfneblin raided, they captured a handful of slaves and left.

A small creature similar turned the corner. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was illuminated by what appeared to be a dagger glowing orange. A humanoid race I had never seen before. The creature was slightly smaller than one of the hated gnomes, but it had hair on its head. It seemed to match the description of humans given in the tales. But the creature was closer to my size and not twice my height. Maybe it was a youngling?

Concentrating intensely, I slowly lifted a rock behind the creature with my mind hand. I waited a few seconds more until the creature passed under my pet spider hiding on the ceiling and hoped it would not notice the cover over my hiding spot. I released my hold on the rock and it dropped to the ground loudly. The creature turned to see the cause of the noise and the spider pounced onto the creature. They began fighting on the ground. The struggle ended when the spider bit the creature on the neck, injecting its paralyzing poison.

I shooed the spider away and approached. The creature lay twitching on the ground.

Kneeling over the creature, I placed my hand on its chest, watching the blood slowly oozing out of the wound on its neck. I could feel the creatures heart slow and see the blood seep slower. This creature, the intruder into the tribes lands, would soon be dead.

I picked up the glowing dagger it had dropped. I had never seen anything like it before. The Chief would surely claim it as his own. So I quickly stripped the creatures leather armor off and gathered up its backpack.

The spider was getting anxious, so I stepped back and motioned it forward. I tossed the bag into my hiding spot. The spider approached and bit into the creature injecting more poison. The creatures body slowly turned mushy. The spider began sucking on the corpse to drain the juices from it.

A sound startled me. I turned from watching the spider feed to see another light from around the bend. I ducked back into my hiding place and pulled the cover back into place. The spider ignored my mental warning and continued to suck on its meal. I could hear a murmur from around the corner. Definitely not creatures from the underground. As the light became brighter, I could also hear metallic scuffing sounds. I tried to squeeze myself deeper into the hole.

Humans! Two of them coming around the corner. These had to be the creatures from the tales. They were twice my height. The larger one was covered in metal and carried a greataxe like the leader of the raiders that had slaughtered my clan according to the tales. Maybe it was the same person? Did humans live hundreds of years like the drow, duergar and svirfneblin? The other human was wearing fancy garments and carried a bow.

The humans tensed when they saw the spider eating the smaller creature. The fancy human quickly let loose an arrow that buried itself into the abdomen of the spider. The armored human warrior with the greataxe ran across the rubble, tripped on a rock and crashed to the ground. The spider leaped upon him. They began wrestling on the ground.

The fancy human dropped his bow and began advancing on the wrestling pair. He called something out in his strange language. He pulled sand from a pouch and started slowly chanting, while sand dribbled from between his fingers.

The warrior kicked the spider away. He growled out something loudly.

The fancy human threw the sand and my spider dropped asleep to the ground. The fancy human to be some kind of spellcaster.

The warrior stood up and raised his axe overhead. He brought it down on my pet, nearly slicing it in half.

Both of the humans approached the small creature. They talked for a bit and motioned towards its corpse. The fancy spellcaster bent over and examined the body. The warrior looked around, probably looking for the gear I had next to me. I should have made sure the creature was alone before taking his stuff. The spellcaster stood up and glanced around as well. They must know the spider had company due to the missing equipment. I left no mark on the creature, so maybe they were being cautious.

They slowly formed a cairn over the small creature using rocks. They turned and went back the way they came. At the bend in the tunnel they stopped. The spellcaster waved his arms about and, this I swear by the curses of the Eldest, I heard a tinkling bell. The two humans set up a camp at the bend in the tunnel. I would not be able to leave my hiding spot until after they fell asleep. I had to notify the Chief.

I slowly opened up my pouch, removed a handful of pill bugs, a quill and a vial of phosphorescent jelly. I marked a couple of the bugs. Two dots for the humans and a square meaning they had stopped. I mentally gave the pill bugs the command to return home. I knew they would find their way since they were trained to return to the scent heap we kept in our warren. And the glowing markings would make sure the other sentries would see them.

I tried to get comfortable because it looked like the humans were not entirely stupid and one was staying awake on watch.

* * *

"Lep, what do you think killed Myliren?" I asked. I loosened one of the straps for my armor and felt my banded mail loosen up around the sides.

Lep reached under my arms and untied the drawstrings before answering. "I was able to ascertain the that our unlucky halfling companion was stricken by the poisonous bite of the spider we saw consuming him," Lep said. He was a wordy chap, but I usually understood him. "The real quandary is whatever happened to his equipment?"

"Dunno, but I didn't spot any tracks in the rubble." I removed the last of my armor. I picked up my sword and began sharpening it. "I have a bit of work to do and I would rather finish before sleep so I will take the first watch."

"I was able to surmise as much. Rest well Bjolnehr," Lep said as he turned over and covered his head.

* * *

I awoke to a familiar stench. The overpowering smell of the Chief's troglodyte leather armor had woken me from my sleep. The stench had weakened over the last few months, but it still brought tears to my eyes. I peeked out from behind the cover and saw the chief mounted on his centipede. I started to remove the cover, but he motioned me back. A quick glance up the tunnel showed my both humans had noticed the Chief. The spellcaster quickly strung his bow and warrior brought up his greataxe.

Chief charged forward with his lance extended. Before he was able to strike, the spellcaster fired his bow into the head of the centipede, killing it. The centipede skidded to a halt throwing the Chief clear, but he was able to land on his feet next to the warrior. Chief quickly drew his sickle fashioned from a centipede mandible and pierced the warrior's leg. The warrior struck back, cutting into the Chiefs side. The Chief looked gravely wounded and his armor was split open. But he remained standing.

The spellcaster pulled out some sand and cast his sleep spell again. The Chief wobbled a bit, then shook his head. He roared and swung again at the warrior. This time his swing sliced open the warriors arm close to the elbow. The warrior spun to the left swinging his axe level with the Chiefs head. The Chief brought his weapon up in time, but the force of the blow crushed his head.

I made sure my cover was in place, pressed against the rear wall and waited...

* * *

We had found a flask on the mite that attacked us. It contained almost half a gallon of the phosphorescent jelly we had came for. Should be worth almost 800 gold. "Lep, you think we should hire a few people to come back here with us to get more of the jelly? No other explorers have returned with any in decades. We could be rich."

Lep finished the bandage on my leg. "Indubitably,"he said. I think he meant yes.

* * *

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